Hadfield returns to Earth a media sensation (with video)

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MONTREAL — On Dec. 19, the Soyuz TMA-07M capsule blasted off from an icy platform in Kazakhstan carrying millions of dollars worth of scientific equipment, three cosmonauts and a single, secret wish.

That wish, made and then transported into orbit by Canadian Chris Hadfield, was that his five-month mission — the third and likely final one of the 53-year-old’s career — would somehow leave a lasting impression on his countrymen. Perhaps even on humanity as a whole.

Hadfield knew there would be challenges. With a full schedule of experiments that needed to be performed during his time on the International Space Station, finding time to reach out to the average person 350 kilometres below was going to be tricky. And even if he did reach out, would anyone respond?

The answer, as it turns out, was a resounding Yes.

Since reaching orbit last December, Hadfield, who is scheduled to pass back through the fiery envelope of Earth’s atmosphere on Monday, has become an international celebrity and social media darling. According to his son, what began as a vague and somewhat fanciful plan to tweet a few photos from space quickly morphed into something extraordinary.

“Almost none of (the social media aspect) was sketched out in advance,” said Evan Hadfield in an email from Germany, where he has helped shape his father’s online persona. “We had hoped that a lot of fun things could be done ... but beyond hoping that he could provide some interesting media in new and interesting ways, we weren’t sure what would be possible.”

“The lesson here is that if an astronaut or anyone else in the space program wants to make an impact, they need to have a coordinated social media campaign,” said Elizabeth Howell, a science journalist based in Ottawa who contributes to space.com and various other publications. “There have been other astronauts who’ve tried to do the same thing. (Hadfield) has hit upon quite a bit of success, and it remains to be seen if anybody can duplicate that.”

Click here to see an interactive display of some of Hadfield's best photos from space.

Therein lies the challenge for the beleaguered Canadian Space Agency. The CSA arguably struck gold with Hadfield, who has been credited with single-handedly renewing the public’s interest in space exploration at a time when deep budget cuts are threatening to slow Canada’s progress toward the final frontier.

Finding another Rocket Man (or woman) who can fill those very large spaceshoes will be difficult, especially since the CSA only has until 2020 to send another explorer to the ISS.

Still, there are a few candidates waiting in the wings, many of whom have already began emulating the ‘Hadfield Model.’

“It’s a really great example for me going forward ... and I’d love to be able to continue that tradition of bringing space to humanity,” said Jeremy Hansen, one of the country’s youngest astronauts. “I think people are interested depending on what’s happening in real time, so there are always going to be highs and lows. Right now, in Canada, this is a real high for us.”

The 37-year-old, who tweets daily as @astro_jeremy, says he couldn't have asked for a better role model than Hadfield.

"It's been motivating to watch how much passion and effort he put into communicating with the planet. This isn't what he's doing as a primary role ... we don't give him extra time to do this."

While the world will have to wait awhile for more out-of-this-world dispatches from a Canuck (there are no new missions on the books), Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano may provide relief to those experiencing Hadfield withdrawal in the coming months.

Parmitano will be using an Earth-bound liaison, 15-year-old high school student Abigail Harrison, to help him connect with fans around the globe during his five months on the ISS, set to begin in June. Much like Evan Hadfield, Harrison will field questions on behalf of Parmitano and monitor the astronaut's Twitter account (@astro_luca) and Facebook profile, among other tasks. It's unclear if there are any singalongs in the works, however.

Meanwhile, back at the CSA, Howell says the trick will be capitalizing on Hadfield’s success and popularity for as long as possible until the torch can be passed to Hansen or someone like him.

“If they can hook their work into what (Hadfield) is doing, at least for the time being, that’s probably a good short-term solution to help raise their profile,” she suggested. “Even though he’ll be on the ground, the scientific experiments are going to continue. They’re going to be analyzing his responses after he gets back to Earth to see how it’s different from what he was doing up in space.”

There are also rumours that Hadfield will be in Ottawa for Canada Day celebrations, and his updates on social media are expected to continue indefinitely. He reportedly has thousands of additional pictures that he plans to unveil in the coming months.

With less than 24 hours left on board the ISS on Sunday, “the coolest guy in outer space” remained in fine form — although perhaps a bit melancholy at the prospect of leaving his zero-gravity home behind.

“Who’d have thought that five months away from the planet would make you feel closer to people?” Hadfield mused in his final video dispatch. “From the bottom of my heart, thank you. And see you soon.”

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